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Consonants /l/ versus /ʧ/, 215 pairs     

The /l/ sound is spelled with <l> or <ll>. The /ʧ/ sound is spelled with <ch> or <tch>. Notice how the homograph lied makes pairs with chide and cheat.

This is a contrast between a voiced alveolar lateral continuant and a voiceless alveolar affricate. It is not a problem.

Interesting pairs include:

livid chivied
pillar pitcher
signaller signature
taller torture

The mean density value is 1.5%. The lists make 126 semantic distinctions, a loading of 59%.

ail H
ale H
ball bortsch
billies bitches
billing bitching
Billy bitchy
bitched built
bull butch
churl church 
coal coach 
  coaling coaching 
  coaled coached
coalman coachman 
  coalmen coachmen 
colt coached 
cowl couch 
  cowling couching 
  cowled couched
dill ditch
dull Dutch 
eel each 
feeler feature 
  feelers features 
fell fetch
  felling fetching
  felled fetched
felt fetched
growl grouch 
  growling grouching 
Hal hatch
hill hitch
hilt hitched
hull hutch
ill itch
kill kitsch
L etch
lace chase 
  laced chased 
  laces chases 
  lacing chasing 
lad Chad 
lain chain 
lair chair 
  lairs chairs 
laird chaired 
lama charmer
  lamas charmers 
lamp champ 
  lamps champs 
lance chance 
  lanced chanced 
  lances chances 
  Lancing chancing
lancer chancer
  lancers chancers
lane chain
  lanes chains 
lap chap 
  lapped chapped 
  lapping chapping 
  laps chaps 
lard Chard 
large charge
  larger charger 
lariat chariot 
  lariats chariots 
lat chat 
latter chatter 
laud chawed 
laugh chaff 
  laughed chaffed 
  laughing chaffing 
  laughs chaffs 
law chaw 
  laws chaws 
law chore 
  laws chores
leaf chief 
  leafs chiefs 
leak cheek
  leaked cheeked 
  leaks cheeks
  leaking cheeking
leaky cheeky 
  leakier cheekier 
  leakiest cheekiest 
learn churn 
  learned churned 
  learning churning 
  learns churns 
leas cheese 
leek cheek
  leeks cheeks
leer cheer 
  leered cheered 
  leering cheering 
  leers cheers 
Leicester Chester 
less chess 
lest chest 
lick chick 
  licks chicks
lied chide 
lied cheat
lieu chew 
Lilian Chilean 
lily Chile 
lily chilli
lily chilly
lime chime 
  limed chimed 
  limes chimes 
  liming chiming 
limp chimp 
  limps chimps 
line chine 
  lines chines 
link chink 
  linked chinked 
  linking chinking 
  links chinks 
Linz chintz
litre cheetah
  litres cheetahs 
live chive 
  lives chives 
livid chivied 
lock chock 
  locks chocks 
  locked chocked 
  locking chocking 
loo chew
  loos chews 
lop chop 
  lopped chopped 
  lopping chopping 
  lops chops 
lord chawed
lose choose
  loses chooses 
  losing choosing 
louder chowder 
lows chose 
luck chuck 
lug chug 
  lugged chugged 
  lugging chugging 
  lugs chugs 
lumme chummy 
lump chump 
  lumps chumps 
lurch church
  lurches churches 
luxe chucks 
Lynn chin
mallet matchet
  mallets matchets
marl March 
mull much 
nil niche 
overlarge overcharge 
owl ouch 
pal patch
  palling patching
  palled patched
pall porch
pally patchy
  pallier patchier
  palliest patchiest
parleys parches 
Paul porch
peal peach 
  pealing peaching 
pearl perch
  pearling perching
pill pitch
pillar pitcher
  pillars pitchers
polar poacher 
pole poach
  poling poaching
  poled poached
poll poach
  polling poaching 
  polled poached
pull putsch
pulleys putsches
r�le roach	 
roll roach
rallies ratches
reel reach 
  reeling reaching 
  reeled reached
rill rich 
signaller signature
  signallers signatures
starling starching 
still stitch
  stilling stitching
  stilled stitched
stilt stitched
swill switch
  swilling switching
  swilled switched
tall torch
taller torture
teal teach 
telly tetchy 
twill twitch
wallah watcher
  wallahs watchers
will which 
will witch
  willing witching
willies witches

Credit: John Higgins